I love quick and easy dinners and this veggie packed, healthy pasta dish is a wonderful weeknight meal. Another great thing: it’s a terrific way to get a variety of nutritious vegetables into those picky eaters. My toddler actually picked out the zucchini to eat! I know your family will love this Farfalle with Zucchini, Mushrooms, and Cherry Tomatoes as much as we do.

Do you need a break from pumpkin? A temporary reprieve from smothering holiday food? Me too. Stand down stuffing and mashed potatoes; we need some tasty, fresh veggies up in here! No worries, my friend. Tender zucchini, hearty mushrooms, and fresh cherry tomatoes are here to save you from eggnog overload.

This is a wonderful meal because it’s easy, quick and really easy on the wallet. Todd and I have decided to cut back our grocery bill because it has been a little wild this past year. There are so many amazing, new vegan finds in the grocery store and while I love testing them out we need to get back to basics: more whole foods and less vegan meats, cheeses, and processed foods. I made a goal to have rice, beans, and lentils all once per week. They should all be in our diets more, and surprise, they are about as inexpensive as it gets! Of course, if I see a brand new fun vegan option I obviously have no willpower to stop myself from trying it. See my Instagram, Facebook , or Twitter to peek at what I’ve been finding here in Alaska on our store shelves.

In the next months, be on the lookout for easy, inexpensive, healthy meals posted on the blog. It’s been real busy in our household with family and friends and to be frankly honest, we are having so much fun I have a hard time finding the time needed to dedicate to posting more regularly but I am going to try! I mean, have you seen how cute Oliver is?

I love quick and easy dinners and this veggie packed, healthy pasta dish is a wonderful weeknight meal. Another great thing: it’s a terrific way to get a variety of nutritious vegetables into those picky eaters. My toddler actually picked out the zucchini to eat! I know your family will love this Farfalle with Zucchini, Mushrooms, and Cherry Tomatoes as much as we do.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

Yield: 4

Ingredients

8 oz bowtie (farfalle) or penne pasta, uncooked

2 tbspvegan butter (optional)

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

½ pound fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced

½ pint fresh cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise

1 tsp seasoning salt or table salt

½ tsp dried thyme

dash of white pepper (black pepper will work in a pinch)

2 green onions, chopped

½ cup canned coconut milk*

1 heaping tbsp tapioca starch

Cooking Directions

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Cook according to package until al dente. Reserve 2-4 tbsp of cooking water and drain. Set aside.

In a large rimmed frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the garlic, zucchini, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes for about 5 minutes until the zucchini is slightly tender. Stir in the salt, thyme, pepper and green onions.

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the coconut milk and tapioca starch. Add to the vegetables over medium heat; stirring continuously for about 1-2 minutes, until it’s thickened into a sauce and coats the vegetables.

Stir in the reserved 2-4 tbsp cooking water, until the sauce reaches your desired thickness then add in the pasta. Stir well to combine and serve hot.

NOTES *You can use another plant milk if you prefer but the sauce won’t be as rich and creamy.